Convertible sofa

ABSTRACT

A couch which by day serves as a seat for several people and can be converted into an upper and lower bed by night. The back of the couch is constructed with a portion which telescopes into the seat and is concealed therein when the couch is used in the daytime as a seat. The back of the couch is mounted on telescopic support members permitting the back to be elevated, the telescopic members being releasably locked in the elevated position, when so raised, the back is then swung out to a horizontal position. A pair of rigid posts are then placed in position under the front edge of the raised back. The back thus becomes an upper bed having a width substantially or approximately the same as a conventional single bed.

United States Patent 1 Riches 1 June 5, 1973 [541 CONVERTIBLE SOFA [76] Inventor: George Henry Wiseman Riches, 170

Roehampton Avenue, Toronto, On-

tario, Canada [22] Filed: Oct. 12, 197] 211 App]. No.: 188,327

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-iri-part of Ser. No. 094,497, Dec. 2,

Nyman ..5/9 R Vogel ..5/9 R Lucero ..5/19

Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-C. Ronald Riches [57] ABSTRACT A couch which by day serves as a seat for several people and can be converted into an upper and lower bed by night. The back of the couch is constructed with a portion which telescopes into the seat and is concealed therein when the couch is used in the daytime as a seat. The back of the couch is mounted on telescopic support members permitting the back to be elevated, the telescopic members being releasably locked in the elevated position, when so raised, the

back is then swung out to a horizontal position. A pair 7 of rigid posts are then placed in position under the front edge of the raised back. The back thus becomes an upper bed having a width substantially or approximately the same as a conventional single bed.

10 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH 5 I975 SHEET 1 BF 3 lnveni 'or George HRiches y P def/2M4 A-Hmrney 1 CONVERTIBLE SOFA cation Ser. No. 094,497 filed Dec. 2, 1970.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION double bed for nighttime. This type of sofa requires an increased amount of floor space when opened and usually results in the shifting of furniture to accommodate the extended size of the sofa when opened. In pleasure cruisers and travel trailers, this additional space is not usually available. In many cases, the furniture and the sofa are fastened securely in place to avoid shifting when the cruiser or vehicle is in motion.

In the pleasure cruiser field, a sofa which can be converted from aseat to an upper and lower bed or berth has been in use for some years. These sofas consist of an upholstered seat and an upholstered back which is the full size of the intended upper berth or bed. The dimensions of the back, in this case, are approximately inches wide by 72 inches long. The bottom edge of the back rests on the back portion of theseat. The top edge of the back is hinged to .a cabin wall or side permitting the back to be swung to a horizontal position to form an upper bed. In addition to being extremely bulky in appearance and therefore out of balance with the decor required fora livingroom orlounge, it is uncomfortable as a seat in the daytime. Furthermore, this type of convertible couch is unsatisfactory and usually impractical for a recreational vehicle such as a travel trailer.

OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages by providing a convertible sofa I which, by day, has substantially the same appearance and provides the same comfort as the conventional up; holstered sofa with a conventional sofa back.

This is achieved by the sofa disclosed herein, which can be convertedfrom anormal closed position having the appearance of a conventional sofa with a conventional sofa back to an open position in which it forms an upper and lower bed of about conventional single bed width without occupying additional floor space. The sofa comprises:

a. a hollow base having front, back and side walls and a top defining a seat portion, said top having a substantially wide slot extending lengthwisefrom end to end of the seat adjacent the rear wall;

b. a back having a bottom concealed portion telescoped into the hollow baseand its upper exposed portion forming a conventional seat back in the closed position, said concealedand exposed portions having a combined width of about thewidth of a conventional single bed;

c. a pair of extensible substantially vertical support members securely mounted on the back wall and extending above the seat;

d. means hingedly connecting the top edge of the back to the upper end of each of the extensible members;

whereby said back can be vertically elevated suffciently so that the bottom edge of the concealed portion is brought to a position above the seat to clear the seat portion, and

e. releasable means locking the support members in the elevated position, permitting the back to be swung to a horizontal position above said seat to form an upper bed of substantially conventional width.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the sofa in the closed position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 in the closed position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2. with the sofa opened into an upper and lower bed;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the sofa showing the sofa in open position;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation showing a mechanical means for elevating the seat back and when raised swinging it to a horizontal position; I

FIG. 6 is an end elevation with the seat back in a horizontal position;

FIG. 7 is a front elevation of the invention in the position shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view on the line 8--8of FIG. 5 with the seat removed.

For the purpose only of illustrating the invention, it is shown asbeing installed in the cabin of a pleasure cruiser generally indicated by the number 10 consisting of cabin roof l1, cabin wall 12 andcabin floor 13. It is to be understood that, as previously indicated, the invention is not limited to such use since it will be apparent that it can be made as a separate unit to be installed in other vehicles or evenbe used in homes without in any way, departing from the invention disclosed and defined herein. I

The hollow base, generally indicatedby the number 14, is substantially rectangular in form and formed by front wall 15, end walls 16,17, rear wall 18"and aseat 19. The rear wall 18, preferably, extends 'a substantial distance above the seat for the purposeto be described. The seat 19, adjacent the wall 18, is formed with an opening 20 which extends from end wall to end wall and'is sufficiently wide to accommodatethe cushioned thickness of the seat back 21 and its supports which will be described later. The base should be dimensioned to have a height, when the seat is upholstered, which will provide a comfortable seat in the closed position and a width which willprovide a comfortable bed in the open position for an average size person. A suitable size for the base, would be 13% inches high by 28 inches wide and 72 inches long.

In the closed position, shown in FIG. 2, thiswill provide, if 4 inches foam cushioning is used, aseat 1.7% incheshigh by 20 inches wide by 72 inches long. It has alsobeen found that a cushioned back in the closed position, is preferably about 14 inches highfrom the top surface of the seat cushion to the topedge of the back, but this will be variable accordingto individual requirements. The seat back 21 has a surface area corresponding to the surface area of the seat 19. In the closedposia tion, the bottom portion of the seat back 21 extends through the slot 20 into the base approximately inches and is thus concealed from view. The back is completely cushioned as illustrated using 4 inches foam rubber.

The seat back 21 is mounted on a pair of upright extensible members, 22,23; each member comprising a fixed member 24 which is firmly secured to the rear wall 18 by brackets 25,26 and an extensible member 27 which slidably fits into the member 24. Each extensible member 27 has its top end hingedly connected to the top edge of the back 21 by hinges 28. It is to be noted that the upper edge of the rear wall terminates below the top edge of the back 21 when it is in the closed position.

When in the raised or extended position, each extensible member is held in position by a locking pin 29 which is enterable through the member 24 at a point where it will engage under the lower end of the member 27. This is the simplest way of locking the extensible members in the extended position. For ease in inserting the locking pin, it is suggested that the hole through the fixed member 24, be located slightly above the seat surface. I

.When in the elevated position, the front edge of the back is supported on a pair of removable posts 30,31

. which fits into sockets 34,35 respectively, carried by the front wall of the base. In practice, these sockets would be placed on the inside of the front wall. The posts 30,31 should be sufficiently rigid to avoid flexing under load. In cases where the roof 11 is of sufficient strength to support a loaded bed, straps may be used, the straps being fastened to the bed and the free end of the straps being connectable to a suitable fitting attached to the roof.

As will be seen from FIG. 3, when the sofa is opened into an upper and lower bed, the opening 20 is closed by an upholstered panel 36 which is supported on flanges 37,38 formed on the seat 19and wall 18 respectively. For convenience, in storage, the panel 36 may be made in two equal lengths.

The conversion of the sofa from a seat to a bed is accomplished as follows. The back 21 is raised manually until the bottom edge clears the top of the seat cushion and the locking pins 29 can be inserted through the fixed member 24 under each of the lower ends of each extensible member. The back can then be swung upwardly to a position (FIGS. 3 and 4) which will permit the posts 30,31 to be inserted in their respective sockets. The back can then be lowered until it rests on the top of the postsin which position it is horizontal. To return the sofa to its closed position, the steps are carried out in the reversed sequence.

One mechanical means for raising and lowering the seat back and swinging it to a horizontal position is illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 8 inclusive. It is to be understood that, as previously indicated, the mechanical means is not limited to the specific means illustrated since it will be apparent that other mechanical means can be used for raising and lowering the seat back from open to closed position and vice-versa. ln FIGS. 5 through 8 the convertible couch is shown as being installed in the front end of a travel trailer generally indi cated by the letter A.

The travel trailer A includes a floor 110, front end 111, side walls 112,113 and roof 114. The front end is usually provided with a window 115 extending across the front end. A front counter and cabinet 116 is built across the inside of the front end, the top of the counter being about level with the top edge of the seat back of a convertible couch and the bottom edge of the window. This is conventional construction and it is, as previously stated, the object of this invention to provide a convertible couch which will not, in any way, obstruct the front window, and provide a couch which when closed has the appearance and dimensions of a conventional couch but which, when opened forms an upper and lower bed of approximately single bed width without occupying any additional floor space.

The hollow base is substantially rectangular in form and formed by front wall 117, side walls 112,113, its

rear wall 1 18 being formed by the front wall of cabinet- 116 and a seat 119. The rear wall 118, extends a substantial distance above the seat for the purpose to be described. The seat 119, adjacent the wall 118, is formed with an opening 120 which extends from end wall to end wall and is sufficiently wide to accommodate the cushioned thickness of the seat back 121 and its supports which will be described later. The base should be dimensioned to have a height, when the seat is upholstered, which will provide a comfortable seat in the closed position and a width which will provide a comfortable bed in the open position for an average size person. A suitable size for the base, would be 13% inches high by 28 inches wide and 72 inches long. The overall width of the seat is thus about 28 inches wide.

In the closed position, shown in FIG. 5, this will provide, if 4 inches foam cushioning is used, a seat 17% inches high by 20 inches wide by 72 inches long. It has also been found that a cushioned back in the closed position, is preferably about 14 inches high from the top surface of the seat cushion to the top edge of the back, but this will be variable according to individual requirements. The seat back 121 has a surface area corresponding to the surface area of the seat 119. In the closed position, the bottom portion of the seat back 121 extends through the slot 120 into the base approximately 10 inches and is thus concealed from view. The

' width of the seat, in the closed position is of conventional size. The back is completely cushioned as illustrated using 4 inches foam rubber. In the open position (FIG. 6) the opening is covered with a filler cushion which brings the seat to a width about equal to the total width of the back.

The seat back 121 is mounted on a pair of upright extensible members 122,123; the members being reciprocatably mounted on the rear wall 118 by stabilizing brackets 125,126 which are provided with clamping screws 127,127a to provide a fail-safe securing of the members in the elevated position. Extensible members 122,123 have their top ends hingedly connected to the top edge of the back 121 by hinges 128,128a respectively.

In the present embodiment, a common hinge pin 129 is used for the hinges 128,128a with a central support 130 fastened to the seat back midway between the ends thereof. A pair of torsion springs 131,132 are mounted on the hinge pin 129, one adjacent each hinge. One end of each spring is attached to its adjacent member and the other end thereof attached to the seat back. These springs counterbalance the weight of the seat back, and although not essential, assist in the manual swinging of the seat back 121 to the horizontal position. The springs become loaded when the back is returned to the vertical position. The seat back can be provided with a mechanical arrangement to swing automatically to the horizontal.

The opposite ends of members 122,123 are sup ported on the free ends of levers 133,134 and connected thereto by a pin and slot arrangement. The opposite ends of levers 133,134 are hinged to the front wall 117 by hinges 135,136. It is preferable to mount the hinges midway up the wall 117. The levers 133,134

are joined together by a cross bar 137. The lever arms in the illustrated embodiment, are raised and lowered by a screw jack 138 which engages with cross bar 137. The screw jack provides the means for actuating the levers 133,134 to raise and lower the arms. Any suitable mechanical means may be substituted for the jack. It is to be noted that the jack is placed about midway between t he back 118 and the front 117 so as to obtain the maximum lift of the seat back to the position with the bottom edge of the back just clearing the seat 119. The jack can have a substantially less lift. This is a definite advantage in the confined space that one has in the compartment below the seat. The screw jack 138 is preferably, but not necessarily power driven by a reversible electric motor equipped with reduction gears (not shown). Nor has the electric wiring and necessary switches been shown as that would be obvious to a skilled person The electrical wiring for the motor should preferably include an electrical switch which opens the circuit when the guide rollers are released from the track to stop the upward movement at that point and to close the circuit when the seat back is folded to the vertical position.

The seat back is moved from the closed to the open position and vice-versa in the following manner. The electric circuit to the motor of the screw jack is closed. The arms 133, 134 are thereupon raised which lifts the seat back from the FIG. 5 to FIG. 6 position with the seat back 122 in the position in dotted lines. At that point, the rollers 139,140 disengage, the motor stops and the torsion spring urges the seat back to the horizontal position and assists in the manual lift of the seat back to the horizontal. The clamping screws 127,127a are tightened and the front posts 141,142 are placed in position in front sockets 143,144 under what becomes the front edge of seat back 122 as shown in FIG. '6. To lower the seat back the above steps are followed in the reverse order.

What I claim is:

l. A convertible sofa which in its normal closed position, forms a lounge having a seat back of conventional height and in its open position forms upper and lower beds comprising in combination:

a. a hollow rectilinear base having front, back and end walls and a top defining a seat portion, said seat portion having a substantially wide slot extending from end to end of the seat adjacent to the back wall;

b. a vertically reciprocatable seat back having a bottom portion telescoped through said slot into the hollow base. in the normal closed position and an upper exposed seat back forming portion in said position, the combined width of the said portion being about the width of a conventional single bed;

c. a pair of vertically reciprocatable back support members movable between raised and lowered positions;

d. hinge means hingedly connecting the seat back to the upper end of the back support members permitting the seat back to be swung to and from its vertical and horizontal positions,

whereby by reciprocating said back support members in an upward direction, said seat back is moved upwardly from its closed vertical position to a raised vertical position permitting it to be swung to a horizontal position or downward from the raised position with the back in its vertical position to telescope the seat back bottom portion into the base; and

e. means retaining the vertically reciprocatable members in the raised and lowered positions respectively.

2. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 in which each support member consists essentially of a horizontal lever arm having its outer end pivotally mounted in the base adjacent the front wall of the base and extending rearwardly with its rearend adjacent said back wall and a vertical portion connected at its bottom end to the near end of the horizontal arm and the hinge means mounted on the upper end thereof, and mechanical means for actuating said lever arm to reciprocate said vertical portions in a selected direction to raise and lower said seat back. i

3. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 including mechanical means urging said seat back into its horizontal position when said seat is raised by said back supports to the raised position.

4. A convertible sofa according to claim 3 in which said mechanical means comprises springs acting on said seat back in a direction to urge the seat back to its horizontal position.

5. A convertible sofa according to claim 2 including mechanical means urging said seat back into its horizontal position when said seat is raised by said back supports to the raised position.

6. A convertible sofa according to claim 2 in which said mechanical means comprises springs acting on said seat back in a direction to urge the seat back to its horizontal position.

7. A convertible couch according to claim 1 in which said releasable locking means comprises a stabilizing bracket in which each back support member is slidably mounted and a clamping member carried by each member whereby the support member is secured in the raised position.

8. A convertible couch according to claim 3 having guide means retaining said seat back in its vertical position during its movement into and out of said base.

9. A convertible couch according to claim 4 having guide means retaining said seat back in its vertical position during its movement into and out of said base.

10. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 including mechanical means which reciprocates said back sup:

port member between said two positions.

' =1 l l i 

1. A convertible sofa which in its normal closed position, forms a lounge having a seat back of conventional height and in its open position forms upper and lower beds comprising in combination: a. a hollow rectilinear base having front, back and end walls and a top defining a seat portion, said seat portion having a substantially wide slot extending from end to end of the seat adjacent to the back wall; b. a vertically reciprocatable seat back having a bottom portion telescoped through said slot into the hollow base in the normal closed position and an upper exposed seat back forming portion in said position, the combined width of the said portion being about the width of a conventional single bed; c. a pair of vertically reciprocatable back support members movable between raised and lowered positions; d. hinge means hingedly connecting the seat back to the upper end of the back support members permitting the seat back to be swung to and from its vertical and horizontal positions, whereby by reciprocating said back support members in an upward direction, said seat back is moved upwardly from its closed vertical position to a raised vertical position permitting it to be swung to a horizontal position or downward from the raised position with the back in its vertical position to telescope the seat back bottom portion into the base; and e. means retaining the vertically reciprocatable members in the raised and lowered positions respectively.
 2. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 in which each support member consists essentially of a horizontal lever arm having its outer end pivotally mounted in the base adjacent the front wall of the base and extending rearwardly with its rear end adjacent said back wall and a vertical portion connected at its bottom end to the near end of the horizontal arm and the hinge means mounted on the upper end thereof, and mechanical means for actuating said lever arm to reciprocate said vertical portions in a selected direction to raise and lower said seat back.
 3. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 including mechanical means urging said seat back into its horizontal position when said seat is raised by said back supports to the raised position.
 4. A convertible sofa according to claim 3 in which said mechanical means comprises springs acting on said seat back in a direction to urge the seat back to its horizontal position.
 5. A convertible sofa according to claim 2 including mechanical means urging said seat back into its horizontal position when said seat is raised by said back supports to the raised position.
 6. A convertible sofa according to claim 2 in which said mechanical means comprises springs acting on said seat back in a direction to urge the seat back to its horizontal position.
 7. A convertible couch according to claim 1 in which said releasable locking means comprises a stabilizing bracket in which each back support member is slidably mounted and a clamping member carried by each member whereby the support member is secured in the raised position.
 8. A convertible couch according to claim 3 having guide means retaining said seat back in its vertical position during its movement into and out of said base.
 9. A convertible couch according to claim 4 having guide means retaining said seat back in its vertical position during its movement into and out of said base.
 10. A convertible sofa according to claim 1 including mechanical means which reciprocates said back support member between said two positions. 